Rime, Part Deux

The St. Regis Deer Valley bids adieu to Jean-Georges and welcomes a locally conceived eatery to the fold.

Last season, the affable chef Matthew Harris, of Tupelo Park City, tested out his Rime Raw Bar concept in the wee Deer Crest Cabin, perched at the apex of Deer Valley’s Jordanelle Gondola. Yep, he and his staff had to schlep every last item up the gondola. To say Rime, the slope-side experiment, worked is a serious understatement. Folks flocked to the cabin for lobster rolls, oysters on the half shell, champers, brews … and, well, ridiculous views. Now, Rime Raw Bar has a shiny new—and decidedly larger—sister restaurant housed in what was once The St. Regis’s J&G Grill (named for Jean-Georges Vongerichten of Michelin-starred fame). And, Harris, who opened J&G Grill ten years ago as chef de cuisine, is serving up one hell of a DV homecoming.

Rime Seafood & Steak, opened in early December 2019 with chef de cuisine/executive sous chef Austin Hamilton (formerly of Sundance Resort, San Francisco’s Petit Crenn and Aqua, and Boston’s Row 34) joining Harris as well as pastry chef Ashleigh Dougherty. The beauty of Rime is that it rolls with the “bespoke” Astor brand while somehow avoiding snooty airs. Chefs Harris and Hamilton have ties with an array of providers, from Nantucket, Mass to Delta, Utah, and thus their network of sustainable—remarkable—purveyors shine at The St. Regis. The 60-day, dry-aged elk from nearby Desert Mountain Ranch shares the stage with shipped-across-the-nation oysters as well as right-here-in-Park-City Alpine Distilling gin and Bartolo’s pasta.

Last week, we sampled some of the new eatery’s offerings flanked by 13,000 bottles (some of which we thankfully quaffed thanks to wine director Mark Moulton) in the intimate Wine Vault. From the signature cocktail and trio of king crab, Ahi tartare, and buffalo carpaccio to the clams and spaghetti to the main course of elk with shared sides—don’t pass up those Brussels sprouts with a kick—to the delectable s’mores cheesecake, each impeccably presented and prepared dish had a hearty dash of authenticity and the panache of a seasoned culinary team.

Foodie or not, a meal that starts with a ride up a funicular and ends with an iced Toasty Slopes cocktail is an adventure worth having. Cheers!